Fixing It
by SarahMel
Summary: My attempt to fix the season finale. Friendship, partnership and more. Our dynamic duo at their best. Witness in trouble, and a gun fight. Comments/reviews are WELCOME. Rated M for two very "zesty" chapters thanks to Bujyo for that term .
1. Chapter 1

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: G**  
**Warnings: None**  
**Spoilers: Everything to date**  
**Summary: I'm just cleaning up the mess in my head left by the finale**  
**Notes: This is a WIP. Tell me where you want it to go. We've got all...well, we have time, let's leave it at that. The muses abandoned me for a while before the finale, but they seem to have returned. Let's keep them busy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much.**

2 weeks after the finale

Saturday Morning

Marshall woke with a start to the sound of the phone ringing. He reached for the phone, looking for the clock to see what time it was. 5 am. What day was it? And why was Mary calling him at this hour? Wasn't she on vacation?

"Marshall."  
"Hey, it's me."  
"Mary, its 5 am. Aren't you on vacation? Why are you calling me at 5 am while you are on vacation?"  
"I'm back. Last night. It was horrible.. I do not know why I let Jinx talk me into this."  
"Mary, I reiterate my earlier question – why the 5 am phone call?"  
"I just woke up, had this very strange dream."  
"And you felt the need to share? I'm honored, truly, but it couldn't have waited for a more normal hour? Particularly since its…what day is it?"  
"Saturday, you idiot. You can go back to sleep when we're done."  
"Fine. So this dream?" Marshall decided he should be happy she called.  
"Here's the weird part – Faber was in it. Calling me kitten and acting all inappropriate."  
Marshall hissed as he tensed at the mention of Faber's name. "Well, he likes you, he's made that pretty clear. And inappropriate is sort of his deal, isn't it? So why are you telling me this?" He desperately wanted this conversation to end, so he could go back to sleep. He'd basically bared his soul to her last week and she'd ran away so fast he could practically see the smoke from her shoes.  
"The weird part was he was on vacation with me in this dream. I don't know Marshall. It felt wrong."  
"Well Freud insisted that dreams are a form of fulfilling suppressed wishes. Maybe you want to go on vacation with Faber?" Marshall hated himself for even saying such a thing aloud.  
"Wouldn't it feel right then?" Mary pressed.  
"Jeez, Mary, I don't know. I can't postulate on what collection of emotions and subconscious thoughts in your mind is producing a dream that involves him."  
"Ok, well...I'm sorry I woke you. I just...I wanted to say hi. I still have a week of vacation time left, and I guess being away from work and all, I just...I'm not used to it. So, hi."  
"Hi." He said softly in response.  
"I know its early, and I'm sorry. I'll let you go back to sleep."  
"I'll call you in a few hours, ok? I'm glad you're back."  
"Ok." She hung up the phone.

Marshall put the phone down, and turned back over in bed. He was glad she called, and he was glad she was back. He didn't know what to make of the dream involving Faber and why she called him about it, but right now, he didn't care. It had been a brutal week at the office in her absence. He wasn't exactly sure why, as he was used to doing her paperwork, and he didn't mind dealing with her witnesses. Maybe it was just the tortured conversation they had before she left, and the silence that ensued in the days leading up to her vacation. He hadn't meant for things to get so awkward when he said those things to her, but he felt like she needed to hear it. Obviously, it wasn't the outcome he was hoping for, but then again, he wasn't sure what he expected when he said that. Did he really think she'd jump up and kiss him and they'd ride off into the sunset together?_Moron_, he thought to himself. _That stuff only happens in the movies._ He closed his eyes, and waited for sleep to come again.

A few hours later, after he'd slept a little more, and gone for a run, Marshall felt less on edge then he had when he hung up the phone with Mary. It appeared that although he'd made a mess of it, she was at least speaking to him again, and he should be glad of that. Maybe the damage wasn't irreparable.

He reached for the phone, hesitated for a minute, and then dialed.  
"Hey, its me," he said when she answered. "Sorry about earlier, I wasn't really expecting to hear from you."  
"I know. Have you eaten? I'm starved and there's no food in my house. It's so weird to come home to an empty house."  
"Breakfast?" He asked. "I can pick you up in 10."  
"Deal."

Marshall walked to the front door, grabbing his keys and smiling. Breakfast was a good starting place, he decided. He could fix this. He would fix it. There was no other option.


	2. Chapter 2

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: G**  
**Warnings: None**  
**Spoilers: Everything to date**  
**  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much.**

Saturday 10 am

Marshall pulled into the driveway of Mary's house, but before he could get out of the car, Mary was out the door, headed for him. Marshall put the car in park, and stepped out of the car. He walked to the passenger side, planning to open the door for her. But he stopped as he watched her open her arms to him. Mary was...hugging him? Never one to miss an opportunity, he pulled her into a hug, reveling in the moment. A hug from Mary was a rare thing, especially one she initiated.

"Jesus Marshall, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I missed you."  
"Vacation that bad, huh?"  
"You have no idea. But seriously, I'm starving, so you need to feed me, stat."  
This elicited a chuckle from Marshall. Some things never changed.  
"Right this way, madame," he said, as he ushered her into the car.

The ride to the Standard Diner was filled with idle chatter. Mary asked about work, and Stan, and Marshall filled her in. Marshall didn't want to ruin a good thing. He was glad she called, and glad she seemed happy to see him. But he couldn't get rid of a nagging sensation that something else was going on.

The wait was short at the diner, and breakfast was ordered. Things felt almost normal, Marshall thought.

"So your vacation was...terrible? How could it be terrible? Where did you go?"  
"God, Jinx suggested this resort in Mexico. It was against my better judgment. I hate beaches. Fat pasty people. The heat, the humidity. I really don't know what I was thinking."  
"Heh. Well, it sounded good in theory right? There's a lot to do in Mexico besides the beaches - scuba, snorkeling, Mayan ruins."  
"I guess. Too bad I hate doing those things, too many people around."

Hesitating only slightly, Marshall asked "Did you meet anyone interesting?"  
Snorting, Mary responded "God no. There was a cute cabana boy, Enrique, Jose, something or other. And some douchebag who looked a lot like Faber hit on me at the bar a few times. That's probably why Faber showed up in my dream last night."  
Marshall sucked in a breath. He hated Faber, but Mary was a little bit of a sucker for assholes. He was pretty sure she liked Faber on some level, so a Faber lookalike could be a dangerous thing. She thought she could fix them. Ignoring the dream reference, Marshall focused on the guy at the bar. "So Faber lookalike didn't tickle your fancy?"  
"Marshall, did you seriously say 'tickle my fancy'? Jesus. Nah, he just...it didn't feel right. The whole thing was a mistake. That's why I'm back. I was booked for another week, but I hated the whole experience. Cancelled the second week and changed my flight. I'd rather be home with nothing to do. I was right. I don't do vacations."

Breakfast arrived. Marshall was having his preferred Saturday breakfast - oatmeal with fruit, and a side of scrambled eggs for extra protein. Mary, as usual, had something involving pancakes, eggs and potatoes as well.

He hesitated to risk it, but decided he'd better apologize for last week's...conversation.  
"Mary, listen, I want to apologize."  
"What for? This morning?"  
"No, for...before you left on vacation. I'm..."  
"Marshall, stop. It's ok. I'm a big girl, and occasionally I need to be told when I'm doing something stupid. I expect nothing less from you. Doing a cowboy at a bar would've been a dumb idea."

Marshall stared at her. Was that all she got from their conversation? Doing a cowboy at a bar would've been a dumb idea. Had she completely missed what he was trying to say?

Mary continued. "I think that's why I didn't really respond when that guy hit on me in Mexico. He was cute, but...I don't know. It seemed like random vacation sex probably wasn't the best move I've ever made."  
"I guess I should congratulate you on making a responsible life choice then shouldn't I?" Marshall asked. He wasn't quite sure what to make of her reaction to his declaration, but rather than send her running from the room again, he thought maybe he should just roll with it.  
Mary threw a potato at him. "I make lots of responsible life choices, idiot," avoiding the subject all together.

"So, are you planning to call Brandi and Jinx now that you're back?"  
"God no. I have a whole second week in which they think I'm in Mexico. What am I, crazy? I call them and tell them I'm back early and one or both of them will a) want to know why and b) probably want to move back in. So, as far as they're concerned, I'm on vacation."  
"A move I completely support," he said, smiling across the table at her.

"What's on tap for you at work this week? Anything I need to be aware of?"  
"You're on vacation, remember?"  
"Marshall..." she started to whine, just a little.  
"Ok, ok. Looks like a pretty normal week. Still doing the pile of paperwork you left behind. Hey, why don't you do it since you're back now?"  
"I thought I was on vacation," Mary quipped.  
"Never hurts to ask. Anyhow, I think Allison Pearson is coming by this week, just to 'check in.' You know how she is with that whole 'keeping an eye on things' shtick she does."  
"Blech. Glad I'll miss it."  
"And next week, once you're back, I think we've got a new witness coming in from HQ in DC. I got an email about it."  
"Something to look forward to, I see."  
"Better enjoy the vacation while you can. I think its going to be a doozy when you get back."

"Speaking of vacation, you're not noticeably better at taking time off than me, so why am I the only one being forced to take time off?"  
"Mary, you had like...8 weeks of saved vacation time. You don't even use all of your sick time! The only reason you don't have more is the six weeks you were off after the shooting."  
"Still. My week off at home would be a lot more fun if I had someone to spend it with. Maybe I should call Faber. He's always bugging me to hang out. He must call or text me weekly."  
Suddenly alarmed at the prospect of Faber coming to Albuquerque, Marshall thought quickly. "Maybe I could take a few days...like I said, the week isn't too busy. And I do have 4 weeks of vacation time saved. I'll call Stan."  
"Excellent. I like you better than Faber anyways. He's so irritating with that "kitten" thing."  
"So why on earth would you call him if you find him so irritating?"  
"He's clearly interested. It's nice to be wanted."  
"Mary, men always want you. Haven't you noticed?" Marshall sighed. Sometimes he did not understand women, especially this woman.  
"I know, but usually they are sort of skeevy."  
"And Faber isn't?"  
"Marshall, he's not that bad. You weren't around the last time he was in town."  
"Whatever, Mary. I'm sure I can take some time off. Stan will be glad to have the two of us out of his hair when Allison's around anyways. Besides, now that HQ moved some of those Phoenix inspectors to our office, its easier to pawn the new witnesses off on someone else. Not like I don't have a full caseload of my own."  
"Perks of seniority, right? I sort of hate those idiots from Phoenix but it is nice to have someone to do crap work for witnesses. I know! I have a ton of yard work to do. You can help."  
"Only if you agree to come help with the stuff I need to do at my place."  
"Like what?" She eyed him suspiciously. "Nothing girly, Marshall. I'm not helping you feng shui or whatever."  
"I've been meaning to repaint the living room, and I want to plant a vegetable garden."  
"Marshall Stewart, that's who you are. Repainting the living room and a vegetable garden? Marshall, you've got to get some more masculine hobbies if you're ever going to get laid again."  
"What? I like vegetables, and growing your own is good for the environment and for your health. But, to appease you, we could go out to the range and shoot some. Quals are coming up, and its always good to get practice time in. Is that masculine enough for you?"  
"Yes. I do love a good shoot out, even if its not real."  
"Of course you love a good shoot out. Listen, if I'm going to take this time off, I need to go to the office today and finish things up. I'll call Stan and explain. I may still need to go in occasionally, but I don't think it will be a huge deal."  
"Isn't he going to ask why you want the time?"  
"I doubt it. Besides, its not like he cares if you're back. He's still not going to let you come to work." Marshall grinned at her. "He's told everyone in the office to not allow you in should you come sniffing around. I don't think he actually expected you to leave town."  
That got a smile from Mary. "Am I really that predictable?"  
" 'Fraid so, my dear. Now, finish up so I can take you home and then go to the office. I'll call you later with an update and we can plan accordingly."  
"Bossy, much?"  
"Occasionally Mary, its good for you to be bossed around. God knows no one else does it."  
That earned him a smile, and another potato lobbed at his head, but landing somewhere south of it.  
"Your aim sucks. Looks like we need to get out to the range sooner rather than later. Wouldn't want someone to get hurt!"  
"My aim does not suck!" Mary reached for another potato.  
Marshall grabbed her wrist, pinning her arm to the table before she could get the potato in the air. "No food fights, please. We're out in public."  
"Why do you always have to be right?"  
"It's a cross I bear," he smirked.  
"You're buying, you know."  
"Don't I always?"  
Marshall signaled for the check. Reviewing it, he pulled his wallet out and left $25 on the table. "Ok, let's go."

As they drove home, Mary wondered aloud "What am I going to do all day by myself?"  
"Here's an idea - swim in your pool, read a book, do some laundry. Imagine what you can accomplish! Brandi's gone - you could turn her room into your long awaited bullet room."  
"Heh. That's an idea. I have always wanted a bullet room."  
He pulled into her driveway. "Glad you're home. Go...be on vacation in the privacy of your home. I'll call you later."  
"See ya, doofus. Thanks for breakfast."

Marshall smiled as he watched her walk to the front door. So maybe she didn't get what he was trying to say last week, or maybe she was choosing to ignore it, but she'd come back from vacation early and she'd called him. That had to mean something.


	3. Chapter 3

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: G**  
**Warnings: None**  
**Spoilers: Everything to date**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much.**

Mary's House  
Saturday afternoon

Mary sat in her backyard, lounging next to the pool. It wasn't quite warm enough to swim, at least not compared to Mexico. Mexico. What a disaster that had been. She should've known better than to follow Jinx's recommendations. She should've trusted her instincts. She knew she'd hate a beach resort. It was everything she hated.

The problem was, she mused, she didn't trust herself outside of work anymore. At work, on the job, her instincts were spot on. But in relationships, in life, she just wasn't sure she could trust herself to make the right decisions. She knew Raph had been a mistake, from the beginning, but she ignored those instincts because he was a good, decent man and he loved her. And since then, she doubted herself. Like now, with Faber. He was pursuing her, no doubt about it. He'd called her while she was in Mexico. She hadn't told Marshall that. He invited her to Santa Fe for the weekend. Fortunately, she was in Mexico and she'd been able to beg off, claiming family obligations during her time there. Clearly he didn't know her at all or he'd have seen right through that lie. Mary wasn't sure she could hold out for much longer. He was persistent, and he wanted her, and it was nice to be wanted.

Her thoughts drifted back to breakfast with Marshall. She wasn't sure he'd want to see her after what happened before she left. She was pretty sure Marshall had tried, in his own oblique way, tell her that he was the one she should be with, but she was also pretty sure that she'd screw it up, and then she'd lose him. Mary could not lose Marshall. He was the only good thing in her life, the only constant. If she lost him, well, she may as well be dead. So there was no way, no way, she was crossing that line with him. It did not matter if every fiber in her being told her to do otherwise. Nope. No way. Not going to happen.

Realizing the injustice of the situation, Mary jumped up and started pacing. What the hell was wrong with the universe anyways? Giving her an alcoholic mother, a bank robbing-family abandoning father and a baby sister who needed constant care? She'd never had anyone in her life like Marshall, and now, she couldn't even have him the way she wanted to, because she knew, she just knew she'd screw it up. Because all good things do not come to Mary Shannon. Noooooo. Only crappy shitty things come to Mary Shannon. If Mary wants something good, the universe will take it away, by causing Mary to freak out and ruin it. Marshall deserved someone better than her. Someone who could love him and not hurt him the way she knew she would.

The phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. Marshall, she thought. Reaching for the phone, she saw the caller id. Faber. God. Maybe this was a sign. Well, this plus that weird dream she'd had this morning. She couldn't be with Marshall without hurting him. She wasn't good enough for him. So maybe she should give Faber a shot. Maybe he was as good as it was going to get for her.

"This is Mary."  
"Kitten! How are you?"  
Mary grimaced at his greeting. "Faber. Fine."  
"Still in Mexico?"  
Mary paused for a moment, considering her answer. "No. But still on vacation. Have another week of it."  
"Oh well. Listen, about Santa Fe, I was thinking we could reschedule."  
"I don't know Faber."  
"I'll bring wine, we'll talk."  
"I'll think about it, ok? No promises. I'll let you know. Gotta go now, bye."  
Mary hung up the phone before he could respond. What was she doing? Was she seriously thinking about going to Santa Fe with Faber?


	4. Chapter 4

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: PG**  
**Warnings: None**  
**Spoilers: Everything to date**  
**  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much.**

Part 4  
Saturday evening  
Mary's house

Marshall stood outside Mary's front door, pizza box in one hand, a six pack of beer in the other. After he'd left her this morning, he'd gone to the office, worked some and arranged to take some time off this week. He'd called her a few hours ago, and they'd agreed to have dinner at her place. Watch a movie or something. They used to do this a lot, before Jinx moved in, before the mess with Brandi, before Raph. It was one of the things he had missed most about their friendship in recent months. Even with Raph out of the picture, and Jinx moved out, they still hadn't been able to get back to their old habits.

He'd taken some time this afternoon to try to sort through things in his head. Not that it was easy. He loved her, but she didn't love him back, at least not, how he wanted. She'd made that pretty clear. So now, he needed to focus on moving on with his life and just putting his friendship with Mary back together. They were a great team - but that was all they were, a team.

Mary opened the door. "Marshall, you idiot. Why didn't you ring the bell instead of just standing there?"  
"My hands were full. And I've only been here a minute. Pizza and beer, milady, as requested."  
"Excellent."  
"So how was the rest of your afternoon? Did you get the blueprints drawn up for the bullet room yet?"

Mary hesitated a little. Marshall didn't need to know about Faber's offer just yet. "Afternoon was good. Sat by the pool, read a little, and no, the blueprints for the bullet room aren't done. I was waiting to see if your contracting skills were going to be available or not."

"I cleared the second half of the week with Stan. Monday and Tuesday I've got to go in for a few hours in the morning. And why do we need my contracting skills for the bullet room renovation? Aren't you just going to empty it out and then put a box of bullets in the closet, and a sign on the door that says 'Bullet Room'?" Marshall didn't tell her that he'd actually managed to clear the entire week with Stan but wanted a little time for himself. Stan actually thought it was great Marshall was taking the week off - said he really needed it, and not to call the office at all.

"Well, yes, I suppose that is what I was going to do. Then I guess I need your brute strength to clear out the furniture."

"Ah yes, well, women the world over covet me for my brute strength and my gentle demeanor."

That earned him a snort. "Don't forget your brain full of useless information. That's a big draw. Nothing like sitting at dinner with someone with an encyclopedic knowledge of just about everything."

"Some people like a curious mind. Hard for you to imagine, I know," Marshall replied in his usual good natured tone of voice. "In fact, just this past week I learned that Colorado is home to two kinds of weasels, the long-tailed and the short-tailed, also known as the ermine weasel. Weasels, you may not know, are active predators, known for their cleverness and guile. They often use what is known as the 'weasel war dance' to confuse and disorient their prey."

"This is what I am talking about Marshall. No one, man or woman, wants to discuss the weasel war dance over dinner, or any other meal in fact."

"I just thought it was an interesting fact. We don't have a lot of weasels here in New Mexico, which is unusual, given our proximity to Colorado, where weasels abound. Why do you suppose that is?"

"Numbnuts, I don't know and I don't care. So Colorado is home to weasels. It's also home to the Rocky Mountains, the Denver Broncos, and Coors Beer. Care to share random facts about those?"

"Well..."

Mary cut him off, laughing. "No. It was a joke. Stop now. Please. I don't want to know anything more about Colorado or about weasels. Jesus, weasels, Marshall? That's your random fact of the week for me? You're losing your touch."

Marshall grinned at her. "Actually, I share this with you because I come bearing news, of a sort. Next week, when we're back at work, we've got a witness transport to Denver and back, for a trial. "

Mary tensed at the mention of Denver. "What, who? Are we going to be dealing with the locals at all? You know how I feel about locals."

"We got a new witness last week, Elizabeth White. She actually relocated here from Sacramento, following a security breach there. She flipped on her brother and father, they were growing marijuana deep in the Rockies up in Colorado as part of an inter-state drug ring. After she entered WITSEC, she was moved to Sacramento. In a truly random coincidence, she ended up working in the same building as someone she'd gone to high school with, and they recognized her. So she had to be relocated. The trial is next week. It's been on the calendar for months, but the AUSA thought it was probably going to be continued again. However, my email this morning said she needs to be ready, because the defendants' attorney is prepared to go forward as planned."

"And the locals?"

"Oh I imagine we'll involve the local Marshal service, but no reason for the FBI or the local PD to be involved." Marshall knew she was thinking of Faber. He was grateful this case didn't involve him. That guy was a weasel, doing his ridiculous mating dance trying to attract Mary's attention. "It should be a three day trip, max. We've got a transport first thing Wednesday morning, her testimony is scheduled for Thursday. There's a slight chance she'd need to be available for testimony on Friday, but we should still be able to get back Friday night."

"And her dad and brother? What kind of a threat are we looking at?" Mary was grateful to be able to focus on work for a few minutes, thoughts of Faber and Denver causing her stomach to tighten.

"I think the brother is the bigger threat. From the file, and talking to the AUSA, Dad is older, mellower, sort of a live and let live type. He's not expressed a lot of anger at Elizabeth for what she did. Or at least, not anger of the violent sort. But the brother, he's pretty pissed off. He's got other issues as well, gambling debts, etc, and without the drug sales to bring in the money, he's not going to be able to pay those guys. He's been pretty vocal about his unhappiness with Elizabeth, and unfortunately, we know he's a violent person. His first marriage ended when the wife left him following substantiated abuse allegations."

"Oh good. My favorite. Wife beaters. Thanks for the heads up." Witness transport to and from a trial wasn't the worst thing for a WITSEC inspector to do on their first week back from vacation. It beat federal prisoner transport, or intake of new witnesses. Mary just hoped none of her existing witnesses would do something stupid in her absence.

"Hey, how's Charlie working out? Think he's going to be ready to tag along sometime soon?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Stan likes him. Sees potential in him. I think he's another 6 months or so away from being able to work on our cases. You know how Stan is with newbies. Lots of paperwork, only small outings involving witnesses. Nothing too complex."

"Good ol' Stan," Mary said. "He hasn't had a newbie in a long time. He must love having Charlie around."

"I think it fulfills a primal need in Stan, the need to be someone's mentor, protector. A father figure."

"You can say that again. Did you tell him I was back?"

"Yes and the answer is the same: stay home. Do not contact the office for any reason until a week from Monday."

"I know, I know."

Mary's phone chose this moment to announce the receipt of a text message. Unfortunately for her, the phone was by Marshall, and he picked it up. As he handed it to her, he saw what it said: _Santa Fe next weekend, kitten? Faber._

Fuming, he handed the phone to Mary. "When were you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Mary looked at the phone. "Oh, that. It's not what you think."

"Whatever Mary. It's your damn life. If you want to screw it up with that asshole, go right ahead. I'm not going to talk you out of it."

"No, Marshall, listen to me. I haven't said I'd go anywhere with him. He just called this afternoon. I said I needed to think about it."

Marshall was on his feet now, heading for the door. Mary scrambled to her feet, reaching for his arm. "Marshall, STOP. Please."

Marshall turned to face her. "Why? Why should I stop, Mary? You're clearly set on a path of self-destruction that I cannot stop. Do you not see that this guy is a complete and total asshole? That he will hurt you? Maybe you don't want messy, but Jesus, Mary, this asshole is .Answer."

Mary stared at Marshall in stunned silence. This was a more extreme reaction than she was used to out of him. Mutely, she let him go on.

"Faber is the absolute worst choice you could make for yourself right now. Mary, he calls you "kitten." Imagine for one minute what would happen to me, or to Stan, if we called you that. You'd have maimed us, or worse, killed us. He does not repect you, he does not know you, and he does not care about you. Not like..." his voice trailed off.

"Not like who?" she asked quietly.

"Not like someone should," he finished, lamely, willing himself not to expose himself to anymore hurt. "Just don't do it, ok, Mar? You deserve better."

"Ok," she said. "I won't go. Now, will you please come back into the living room and sit down? Let's finish our evening. We haven't done this in forever."

Marshall took a deep breath, trying to regain some of the equilibrium he'd lost when he saw that message from Faber. _She said she won't go,_ he said to himself. _I'm not just looking out for my heart here, I'm looking out for hers. That's what friends do._ He turned towards the living room, setting his keys down on the kitchen counter. "Ok, let's find something to watch on tv."

"I'll let you watch Animal Planet," Mary said, with an impish grin. "I know how much you like it. Come on, I bet we can find something about weasels to watch."

As upset as he was, Marshall couldn't resist that smile. "Animal Planet it is. But only if its about weasels. If not, we're definitely finding a movie. I think there's a Lifetime movie on tonight about a woman who takes up stripping to avoid bankruptcy."

Mary groaned. "Marshall, a Lifetime movie? You are SUCH a girl."


	5. Chapter 5

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: PG**  
**Warnings: None**  
**Spoilers: Everything to date**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much.**

Monday  
One week later

Marshall groaned as the alarm went off. Vacation always went too fast, and this one had been no exception. Not that anyone could call five days of yard work and redecorating a vacation, even when he had spent it with Mary. It had been fun, the two of them, puttering around, bantering, Mary hurling half-hearted insults at him. His living room was repainted, Brandi's room had been cleaned out and turned into a bullet room, and his vegetable garden was planted, although Mary wasn't much help with that one. She'd been too busy mocking him.

Looking at his clock, he realized he needed to get moving if he was going to fit in his morning run before heading to the office. The best part of living in Albuquerque was the weather, perfect for running outside in the early summer mornings. Marshall pulled on a pair of shorts, laced up his shoes and headed out the door, not bothering with a shirt. August was mild enough to not require one. As he headed out the door, he smiled at the sleeping figure on his couch.

Stopping at the couch, he leaned down. "Mar, its 6. I'm headed out for a run. Do you want to get up now?" He knew full well this was at least an hour before she normally got up, but he thought she might want to go home and shower before work.

No response from Mary. Marshall gently placed a hand on her shoulder, resisting the urge to brush the hair out of her sleeping face. The touch of his hand did the trick, Mary opened her eyes.

"What time is it? Is it time to get up already?"  
"No, its only 6. I'm going for my run. Do you want to go home and shower and change before work?"  
"Not yet," she murmured, rolling over and going back to sleep.

Well, Marshall figured, he tried. It's not like anyone noticed if Mary came in later than him anyways. In fact, if she came in before him everyone was stunned. He walked toward the door.

"Bring back coffee," he heard as he stepped outside. Typical Mary. They'd spent yesterday on his vegetable garden, and then he'd made dinner for the two of them, and finished the evening watching television. They'd both fallen asleep during the movie, exhausted from the sun and the physical exertion. When Marshall roused enough to realize they were still on the couch, it was too late for Mary to go home, so she'd opted for a pair of his pajama pants and his couch for the night. His spare room doubled as his office, and neither of them wanted to deal with getting the bed made up in the middle of the night.

Marshall lengthened his stride as his muscles loosened up, relaxing into the cadence of his shoes against the road. Running gave him an opportunity to prepare himself for work, mentally and physically. He found he dealt with the emotional swings of witnesses, and Mary, if he'd gotten in several miles in the morning. He headed towards the Paseo del Bosque trail he'd normally did on Mondays. It was beautifully shaded by the cottonwood grove, Marshall enjoyed the variety of people and animal life he encountered on this trail. Any day that started with a run here had to be a good one.

An hour later, Marshall walked through the door, finding Mary in the shower. The coffee maker was already on, doing its thing. God bless the automated coffee maker, which turned on and brewed coffee at 7 am every day. Marshall grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, and downed it before heading toward the bedroom.

"Woah there, cowboy."

Marshall turned to see Mary emerging from the bathroom, wearing his robe. Quirking an eyebrow at her, and nodding towards her attire, Marshall asked, "Did you already go home? Why didn't you shower there?"

"Marshall, you know I always keep a change of clothes in the car. No court appearances today, right? Then the regular attire will work just fine. Now, where's my coffee?"

"In the kitchen. The coffeemaker just finished brewing about 3 seconds ago. Cream's in the fridge. I'm taking a shower."

"You need it. You stink!"

"Sorry to have offended your delicate sensibilities! Pour me a cup of coffee while you're in the kitchen. I did cook you dinner last night, after all!"

"After you made me slave away in the yard all day!"

"If by slaving you mean...harassing me verbally while barely picking up a shovel, then yeah, I guess you did slave away."

"Whatever," Mary muttered as she headed to the kitchen. She hated it when he was right. As she poured herself a cup of coffee, and stirred the cream in, she pondered the past week. It had been fun, the two of them. Faber had texted a few more times, but Mary had put him off. She wasn't quite sure what to do about him. His persistence was either cute, or creepy. Hard to say for sure.

Mary looked up to see Marshall headed for the shower from his room, still clad in just his running shorts. He was a long, lean man, muscled in all the right places, she thought admiringly. She knew he was a strong runner and she rarely chose to run with him, although when she did, it was a challenge. Those long legs...Mary's mind began to drift towards the vaguely inappropriate. _That's your best friend,_ she told herself, _and you cannot go there. You will only hurt him._


	6. Chapter 6

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: PG (for lewd thoughts)**  
**Warnings: None**  
**Spoilers: Everything to date**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much.**

Part 6  
Tuesday afternoon  
WITSEC Office  
Sunshine Building

Marshall was on the phone with someone about the Denver transport tomorrow. Whoever he was talking to was making him rather angry, Mary noted. His jaw was tense, and she could see the muscles in his neck rippling with tension. Marshall getting angry at work was a rare sight, so whatever it was, it must be serious. The day was nearly over, as they were both calling it quits early before they headed for Colorado tomorrow. Witness transports, even for trial, could be dicey propositions, if things went sideways, so while they planned to be back on Friday, there was every possibility things could extend into the weekend.

Mary's phone rang. "This is Mary."

"Kitten! I hear you're coming to visit."

Mary groaned, silently. "Faber. What on earth are you talking about?"

"My office handled the federal investigation of the Wilder family drug bust. You didn't know?"

"No, Faber, I didn't. The AUSA indicated it was a DEA case."

"Well it was a joint operation, DEA and FBI. What do you say we have dinner one night while you're here?"

"I'm working. Witness protection is a full time job during trial."

"So stay after the trial, and we can get to know each other better."

Mary could hear the leer in his voice. She sighed, audibly this time. "Faber, try to understand how this works. It takes at least two Marshals to protect a witness during transport, assuming no one blows the witness's cover. Marshall and I have to safely transport the witness to Denver, work with the local WITSEC office during the trial providing round the clock protection, and assuming all goes well, Marshall and I have to safely transport her to her new location. Unless and until the witness is secured at the new location, there's no time off for dinner or anything else."

"Let's do the weekend in Santa Fe then. After you are done returning the witness to Albuquerque, you can come and meet me. There's a really nice resort there, we can get massages, soak in the tub, you get the idea..."

Jesus, Mary thought, this guy does not give up. "Faber, I can't. Not this weekend anyways. Maybe some other time."

"Well, the offer is open. Anytime, ok? I've got a friend of a friend who can set us up down there."

Mary noticed Marshall was off the phone, and watching her. "Listen, I've got to go." She hung up.

Turning to Marshall, she forced a neutral expression onto her face. "So, your phone conversation seemed pretty tense. What's up?"

"I could say the same to you."

"I asked you first!"

"That was the AUSA. Turns out the other witness against the Wilders, the one who didn't enter WITSEC, is dead. They think they know who did it, but the person isn't in custody yet, and until that happens, Elizabeth is in danger."

"Shit! Do they know she's in Albquerque?"

"Hard to say. They're watching the guy's credit cards and cell phone, and he's headed south out of Denver now. We've got to move Elizabeth today."

Adrenaline started flowing, as Mary stood up and grabbed her things. "Ok, you go get Elizabeth, and I'll go home and grab our bags. I'll meet you at Kirtland in...two hours?"

"Way ahead of you. I had Stan all ahead to Sunport and arrange a charter to Salt Lake City, and he's dispatched a team to get Elizabeth now. We'll spend the night in Salt Lake and tomorrow we can fly to Colorado Springs, and drive to Denver. The regular transport to Denver arrives at 11:30 am, and the Denver office is prepared to use a decoy to throw anyone off our trail. The drive from Colorado Springs will give us time to plan an alternate route into Denver. Denver inspectors are working on a place for us to stay once we're there."

"And our bags?"

"We still have to go get them."

"Then we better get moving."

Marshall was on his feet, and opening the door for her before she could finish her sentence. "Who was on your call?"

Mary hesitated. "It's not important. Right now, we've got to get Elizabeth to Denver. Let's roll."

Salt Lake City  
23:00 MST  
Tuesday

Mary collapsed, face first, on the bed in their room as Marshall went to the ice machine. It had been a long afternoon. The flight itself was blessedly short, but it was also the only part of the trip that she hadn't been on complete alert. The Salt Lake office was not prepared for their call, and didn't have a safe house ready for them, so they'd had to find a motel with two sets of adjoining rooms, one for Marshall and Mary, and one for the witness and the team assigned to overnight detail. Such a motel was not to be had on short notice, so they'd ended up with 2 adjoining rooms, and a third adjacent room.

What had started out as a routine witness transport was rapidly spiraling out of control into one of Mary's worst nightmares. Other offices were involved, the witness was frightened, and there still was no information on the threat to Elizabeth's security, just that he had arrived in Albuquerque. Tomorrow promised to be an equally long day, which was why the local office was taking the night shift. Mary and Marshall needed sleep.

Marshall walked in the door, saw Mary's sprawled form on the bed, and chuckled. "You planning to stay that way all night?"

"Maybe" Mary mumbled into the bed.

Marshall sat down next to her on the bed. Grasping her by the shoulders, he rolled her onto her back. "What was that?"

"I said, maybe."

"Maybe you want to take a shower before bed? I brought your bag in," he motioned to the credenza where their identical USMS bags sat. "I can order us some food if you're hungry," he added, knowing they hadn't eaten yet that evening.

"Shower good, food better. Cowboy, do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"Like an eight dollar whore?" he replied.

"More. Like two eight dollar whores."

"Wow, that is a compliment. There's a burger joint across the way. I'm going over to get us dinner while you get cleaned up."

"Ok." Mary walked towards the bathroom, grabbing her bag as she went. She started to unbutton her shirt, feeling Marshall's eyes on her as she did. "Hey, Pervis, you going to get us something to eat or watch the show?" She peeled her shirt off and threw it in his general direction, not bothering to turn around to see if she hit her mark.

Marshall reached up and caught Mary's shirt as it came flying across the room. He had been enjoying the show, not that he'd seen much. He watched her close the door to the bathroom, and then he left the room, but not before he considered throwing good sense and caution to the wind and joining her in the shower.


	7. Chapter 7

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: M (Yes, that's right.)**  
**Warnings: None**  
**Spoilers: Everything to date**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much. Also, if I had my way, this would've happened a LONG TIME AGO.**

Chapter 7  
Tuesday night  
Salt Lake City

Mary was finishing up her shower, and about to turn the water off when she heard the bathroom door open. Turning, she saw Marshall enter the room, his eyes molten with desire.

"Marshall..."

"I'm done screwing around, Mary. I'm tired of playing it safe, of not getting what I want. I want you, Mary."

"Marshall, I...it's not a good idea. It won't work."

Marshall began unbuttoning his shirt, having already left his boots outside the bathroom. Pulling his shirttail from his jeans, he moved towards the shower. "Mary, when I decide I want something to work, I make it work. I've put up with you all these years, haven't I? That's because I want it to work. And now, I want more."

Mary was taken aback by the amount of force in his voice. His eyes were the color of the ocean, the North Atlantic, miles from land, an intense, liquid navy blue. Her knees were starting to weaken, and she wasn't prone to knee-weakening. She hadn't been with someone since Raph, and that need to do some cowboy was still rattling around in her head. As Marshall's shirt hit the floor and his hands moved to his jeans, all rational thought left her brain. This man, her best friend, was asking to be her lover. And he was promising her he could make it work. He was the only person she trusted.

Pulling the shower curtain aside, she beckoned him into the shower, watching as he lowered his jeans and boxer shorts to the ground. Her breath caught at the sight of him, baring himself to her. God, he's beautiful, she thought. She'd seen him in shorts only the day before, but the view without was something to behold indeed. Lean, long and hard was how she'd describe him...all of him.

As he stepped into the shower, she turned to him. It was now or never. "I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know you are, Mar, but you can trust me." He lowered his mouth to hers, and a flame raced down her spine as their lips met. She pulled him closer, opening her mouth to him. His hands were on her ass, her back, and then, her breasts. And then, his lips moved from her mouth to her neck, and began working their way down her body. She moaned, softly, as his mouth found her breast, and one hand moved between her legs. His other arm was around her waist, keeping her upright.

Her own hands had explored his back, his firm ass, and were about to move to his front when his head had moved to her breast, so she had to content herself, for now, with keeping them in his hair. His head shifted to her other breast, and one of his fingers entered her, then two. The pressure was building, she could feel it pooling in her gut, as he used his thumb on her clit, alternating between circling and flicking it. Her breath quickened, and her hands moved back down his body, this time in front, as she used her fingers on his nipples, mimicking his own actions.

Her orgasm hit her like fireworks, first small, and then big, explosions of pleasure one after another. Marshall's mouth returned to hers, and her hands stilled on his chest. Her breathing ragged, she heard herself say, "Well, that was unexpected."

Marshall grinned, and chuckled. "Bet you didn't know I could do that, did you?"

Trying to regain some sense of...something, she looked down at his still fully erect penis, and said, "Let's say I had some ideas about other parts of your anatomy, but I didn't expect your hands to be so..."

"Talented?" He finished for her.

"Yes, but I'm noticing that you, cowboy, have been sorely neglected in this process." A smirk crossed her face, "We cannot let that continue." She pulled his head towards hers, capturing his mouth in a kiss as her left hand moved around to cup his ass, and her right moved to caress his penis. He was hard, smooth and rough, all at once. Her lips blazed a trail down his neck, onto his chest, and down his washboard stomach. She could feel his quick intake of breath as she nipped at his hip bones, and then, when she blew on the tip of his penis, she heard her name, "Oh, God, Mary. Don't stop."

Mary woke to the sound of her name. Looking around to orient herself, she heard it again. "Mary, ohmygod, Mary..." She looked at the bed next to her, and saw Marshall, sound asleep, and clearly having a very interesting dream, judging by the tent in the sheet. A dream in which she played a starring role it seemed, unless he had another Mary in his life. A smile crossed her face. _Well_, she thought, _it was nice to see him having inappropriate dreams about her. She'd had a few about him of late as well._

...

Wednesday morning  
5 am

The incessant beeping of the alarm drifted into Marshall's consciousness. He reached for the phone to turn the alarm off. He was suddenly aware of his surroundings, and of his half-mast erection. He'd had a particularly lewd dream involving his partner last night. God, he hoped she wasn't awake yet to see his present state. He shifted in the bed, and opened his eyes a crack. Mary was still asleep, or at least, she looked that way. After a few more minutes in bed, with his eyes closed, Marshall stepped out of bed, and headed for the shower, trying not to disturb Mary.

He walked across the room, and after he entered the bathroom, Mary opened her eyes. The alarm had woken her up, but knowing she couldn't look at him right away without totally blowing her cover, she opted to lay there, imagining things to come. If his dreams were about her, well, maybe it was time to rethink this whole "can't love Marshall" path she'd chosen. She heard him turn the shower on, and decided to go get coffee for the morning. It was going to be a long day, possibly a long couple of days. Right now they needed to focus on work, but as soon as they were done, she mused, she was going to make some changes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: K+ ****  
****Spoilers: Everything to date**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much. **

Chapter 8  
Colorado Springs Airport  
9:00 am MST

The Marshal Service transport touched down right at 9 am, a little ahead of schedule. The flight had been smooth, but the quiet was about to come to an end. As they boarded the plane in Salt Lake, Marshall had called Stan, and learned that while they had arrested Elizabeth's pursurer, a friend of the family named Scott, it had not been in time to prevent him from breaking into her apartment, tearing the place apart, and calling his co-horts in Denver. Elizabeth was still very much in jeopardy.

Fortunately, since they hadn't flown commercial, both Mary and Marshall had been on their phones, talking to both the Colorado Springs and Denver offices, the Denver FBI, the US Attorney, trying to determine the extent of the threat. Elizabeth's brother was under surveillance, and still in jail, but her ex-boyfriend, her cousin, and a few business associates of the family business were still at large, having never been in custody. The FBI was running all possible leads to the ground, but it was going to be a tense drive up to Denver.

Normally, they'd take I-25 straight up, but under the circumstances, and in collaboration with the local Marshals, a decoy transport would be sent that way, and to the motel were they had originally planned to stay. An additional decoy was being dispatched from Denver International Airport to a separate motel in the area. Mary and Marshall, with their escorts, would take State Highway 67 to US 85 into Littleton, where the FBI had procured a safe house. The plan was to spend the afternoon and evening at the house, and then, under cover of nightfall, they'd move to the courthouse, and spend the night there, in the basement, where cots had been set up for them.

The plane taxied down the runway, to an empty hangar where the transport vehicles were waiting. A separate caravan of government issue SUVs was waiting at the terminal, ready for the local office to dispatch as the decoy shortly after the flight from Albuquerque landed, in case someone was watching. Marshall was first off the plane, Mary and Elizabeth close behind. Another marshal was driving, so Mary and Elizabeth went into the backseat, and Marshall into the front passenger seat, earpiece from the radio in his ear.

"Mary?"

The SUV was moving now, headed for the highway, with the lead car out in front, and a tail in the back. Mary turned to Elizabeth. "Yes?"

"I'm scared."

"I know. We're really good at what we do though, and no one knows we're here. Marshall and I have been on the phone all morning, and we're going to keep you safe."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Mary's cell phone buzzed. Pulling it from its holster on her hip, she grimaced at the name on the caller ID: Faber. She had to get her number changed or something. "This is Mary."

"Kitten!"

"Faber. How can I help you?"

"Well, since you're coming to town, I wanted to see if I could take you to dinner."

"Didn't we have this conversation? Not this time. Why don't you understand that? Now, I've got to go. I'm busy." She hung up.

Marshall turned around, "Who was that?"

"Faber."

Marshall pressed his lips together for a moment before responding, "What did he want?"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter. What do you hear on the radio?"

"Denver FBI has cleared the safe house, and the first decoy team from Denver International is en route to the motel. The second decoy team is leaving in about 15 minutes from here."

"Any word on the threat assessment?"

"Stan just sent me a message. The exboyfriend's credit cards show he spent the night in Colorado Springs last night. His car was spotted at a local motel, an army green H3 Hummer. The business associates have been accounted for, and the local PD alerted to keep an eye on them. The cousin is still in Denver, his car, home and work are under surveillance, just in case."

"How the hell did the ex-boyfriend know we were in Colorado Springs?"

"Stan thinks it might've been a lucky guess. When they picked up Scott, he'd already alerted the ex-boyfriend that Elizabeth was not in Albuquerque. They probably decided to split up, and cover all the major airports in the state, and since there's only the two..."

"Yeah, you're right. Ok, so let's hope he oversleeps or something. Follows the wrong group of SUVs." What went unsaid was, of course, there was nothing like a caravan of black government issues SUVs to draw attention to oneself, especially on less traveled roads.

"Maddox knows I'm here?" Elizabeth squeaked.

"Maddox?" Mary turned to Elizabeth.

Marshall filled in, "Mad Dog Maddox, he's Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend and the muscle of the drug operation."

Mary snorted. "Mad Dog Maddox, huh? He must think he's some kind of bad ass."

Elizabeth was practically trembling at this point. "He's really...well, he used to..."

Mary stopped her. "Doesn't matter what kind of a bad ass he is or thinks he is, he's not going to hurt you. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Remember what I told you? We're really good at what we do. Besides, Doofus up there may talk funny, but he is one badass law man."

Marshall smiled at that, remembering the last time she'd called him that, though she hadn't known he was listening.

Mary continued. "Do as we say, and everything will be fine. Try to get some sleep while we drive."

...

About 2 hours into the trip to Denver, Mary watched as Marshall's face went taught with tension. Motioning to Mary to move into the third row with him, he waited for her to move and then climbed around the seats himself, with some difficulty, given his height.

"We've got a tail," he whispered.

"The Hummer?"

"Yeah."

"Crap. Any idea if he's armed?"

"Local PD say he has a handgun registered to him, but nothing more."

"Any way to tell if he's alone in the car?"

"Nope. Stan wanted to order a helicopter, but local WITSEC Chief overruled him. Said it would compromise Elizabeth even more."

"So what's the plan?"

"Not sure yet. We're only about 20 minutes from the safe house, according to the driver. Maybe if we split up, and each car go a separate way..."

"Any reason to think the boyfriend knows where the safehouse is?"

"FBI has the street under surveillance and reports no suspicious activity."

"Can someone get one of the other decoy cars to join in the fun?"

"Already on it." Marshall motioned for her to listen, and he put the radio between them. Mary listened as the FBI Special Agent in Charge directed various cars and people to assorted places.

"How far back is the tail?" Mary said quietly to Marshall.

"He's about 15 lengths behind." The lead car and the tail car had been changing positions throughout the drive, a standard protocol when witnesses were involved. The goal was to never let the car with the witness be exposed to easy identification by plates. Mary hoped this Mad Dog guy didn't know the witness was in the middle car.

"The first Littleton exit is coming up here," Marshall said. "What do you think? Should we get off and split up?"

Mary nodded. "Let's do it."

Elizabeth had been asleep for the majority of the drive, and hadn't heard Mary and Marshall's conversation. Mary leaned forward to wake her. "Elizabeth? Wake up. You need to get on the ground."

Elizabeth blinked, a little bleary eyed and confused, "What?"

"Unbuckle your seatbelt and lay down on the ground between the seats. We've got a tail, and we're about to split up. Don't want to tip off the tail which car you're in."

Marshall was on the radio. "Witness is on the floor. Exit now. When we get to the end of the ramp, turn right, and then we split up. Watch for the tail and report back. Copy that?"

"Copy that. Exit now, right at the end of the ramp and then split up," Mary heard back over the radio. She sent a silent prayer to whoever might be listening that this Mad Dog character didn't have any significant weaponry. A gunfight and a car chase were not how she wanted this to go.


	9. Chapter 9

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: K+ ****  
****Spoilers: Everything to date**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much.**

Chapter 9  
FBI Safe House  
Littleton, CO

An hour after the caravan got off the highway, Mary and Marshall's SUV pulled into the driveway of the safehouse, confident they had not been followed. Based on radio chatter, Marshall confirmed that Mad Dog Maddox had followed one of the decoys to a local motel, and when he realized Elizabeth was not in the car, he took off before law enforcement could stop him.

After getting Elizabeth settled in the safehouse, Mary and Marshall moved to the backyard while the local marshals watched the front. Opening a bottle of water for them both, Marshall sat down next to Mary.

"Looks like we're ok for now."  
"For now," Mary agreed, "but for how long? With the boyfriend still out there..." Her voice trailed off.  
"Yeah. Tomorrow won't be any easier unless they catch this guy. The FBI, the marshals, the local PD, they're all looking for him."  
"I almost wish we were out there looking for him."  
"Mary, you know that's not our job."  
"I said, 'almost' doofus." She smiled. "Come on, let's just relax, as much as possible, while we can. Normally I wouldn't trust these local yahoos, but this crowd did alright today."  
"High praise indeed."

...  
Thursday afternoon  
US Courthouse  
Denver, CO

After a tense morning of testimony, Elizabeth White nee Wilder, was preparing for cross examination with the AUSA. Mary stood down the hall from the witness room, while Marshall stood directly outside the door, both on full alert for any possible threats to Elizabeth's safety. Her testimony had been very damaging on direct, and there'd been angry outbursts from the audience. No sign of Mad Dog Maddox, but neither Mary nor Marshall was under any illusions that he wasn't nearby.

The corridors outside the courtroom were largely open, allowing free movement of people when court was not in session. A few pillars stood in strategic places, but aside from the rooms set aside for witness meetings and the courtrooms themselves, there was little in the way of hiding places. Plainclothes marshals were placed throughout the area, and the defendants were under heavy guard. Standard security measures were in place at the front door to the courthouse, but beyond that, no further precautions could be taken.

Marshall's eyes were scanning the crowd for potential threats when he focused on one person. An FBI agent was headed their direction. Faber. He tensed at the very sight of him. Marshall watched as Faber moved towards Mary, noting Mary's body language shifting. Before she was focused and alert, her muscles taut with anticipation. Now, he could see her muscles tightening with tension and stress. Marshall knew Mary didn't appreciate distractions while she was working, regardless of source. Faber wasn't going to know what hit him, he mused, with a small, grim smile.

Marshall watched as Faber approached Mary. He was close enough to hear what was being said if it was said at normal volume, but knowing Mary, this conversation would be conducted quietly, firmly. Motioning to another marshal to move closer to the door, Marshall moved a few steps closer to Mary. Telepathically communicating his presence and offer for backup to Mary, he kept his distance, but was within earshot now.

"Kitten! How about we get a drink tonight?"

"Faber." Marshall could hear the tension in her voice. "No. I'm working. We've been over this. Please leave."

"Now kitten, is that really necessary? I'm not doing anything wrong."

"Right now, Faber, you're drawing unnecessary attention to yourself, and therefore to me, and that endangers my witness. Now please go."

"This conversation isn't over, kitten."

"Yes it is."

Unknown to both Mary and Marshall, Mad Dog Maddox had entered the courthouse, and was on the same floor as them. He'd changed his appearance, just enough to slip past the local PD and other law enforcement on his trail, and taken a cab to his brother's house where he borrowed his brother's car. He noticed the interaction between the marshal and the FBI agent, and filed it away as possibly useful information.

"Department 25 is now open!" Came the shout from the deputy marshal in charge of opening the courtroom. The doors were unlocked and people began filing into the courtroom, taking their seats. Mad Dog Maddox was one of those people.

Marshall watched as Faber backed away from Mary, and then walked into the courtroom. He heard the door to the witness room open, and turned to speak to the AUSA. "Not yet," he said, indicating the corridor was not yet cleared to move Elizabeth out of the room and towards the courthouse. Whenever possible, the Marshal Service preferred witnesses to be moved within the courthouse without crowds around to expose the witness or the marshals to unnecessary risk.

"I'll knock when its clear." The AUSA nodded, and closed the door. Marshall returned his gaze to the corridor, and then, to Mary. Her face was still tense, but she seemed less on edge now that Faber was gone. _Jeez,_ he thought, _that guy really doesn't quit, and he doesn't seem to get boundaries or professionalism._ Marshall had these suspicions from their previous interactions with Faber, but today confirmed it.

After another minute or two, Mary turned to Marshall, "All clear?"

"All clear," he responded. "I'll get the witness." Turning, he walked to the door of the interview room, and knocked. The door opened. "It's time."


	10. Chapter 10

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: K+ ****  
****Spoilers: Everything to date**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much. **

Thursday afternoon  
US Courthouse  
Denver, CO

Mad Dog Maddox was a big guy, 6'2" and 250 pounds of muscle. He'd joined the Army straight out of high school, but didn't like it, and when his tour was up, he didn't reenlist. He'd come home to Colorado, and drifted around aimlessly before joining the drug trade with the Wilder family. He'd known the Wilders his whole life, gone to school with Elizabeth and Brady, the son. He and Elizabeth had started dating when she was 23, and he'd never been faithful. Elizabeth found out about his infidelity around the same time Brady's wife left him, and she broke it off. That was when Elizabeth had gone to the DEA.

Mad Dog had been trying to find Elizabeth since she disappeared, without warning, two years ago. Once Brady had been arrested, Mad Dog knew Elizabeth had snitched on him, the little bitch. Bros before hos, was his motto, and Elizabeth needed to pay for what she had done. They'd gotten lucky in Albuquerque - someone, no one Elizabeth knew, had recognized her from an old photo of her and Mad Dog together, and tipped them off. After that, it was a matter of luck with the trial approaching. Mad Dog guessed they'd bring Elizabeth to Denver, and the plan had been to follow her from the airport to the motel and grab her then. But after Scott was arrested in Albuquerque, Mad Dog decided there was a decent chance the feds would choose an alternate location. He hadn't spent time in the army for nothing, after all. So he and some of the guys split up, and Mad Dog took two of his friends to Colorado Springs.

The only thing that went wrong was the caravan. Mad Dog hadn't planned on the feds using decoys and alternate routes. So he'd followed one of those black government issues SUVs all over Littleton on Wednesday, only to get nothing. So here he was now, at the courthouse, hoping something, someone would give away Elizabeth's location. It was too late to stop her from testifying, but at least she'd pay for what she'd done.

Mad Dog sat in the courtroom, listening to Elizabeth's testimony, watching the jury. He also noted the tall man and the blond woman who seemed to be Elizabeth's shadow. He'd seen that woman before...in the hallway, with that FBI agent, the one who was sitting in the second row. Interesting, he mused. That FBI agent seemed to be a bit of a loose cannon, judging by the interaction outside the courtroom. Well, there was no way Mad Dog was going to do something in the courthouse - too many people, especially law enforcement. He needed to find out where they were keeping Elizabeth.

Mad Dog pulled out his cell phone and texted his friends outside. "Watch for FBI agent to leave. 6 feet or so. Dark hair. Expensive suit. Slick looking." Not a very helpful description, he realized. He needed to get a photo.

Fifteen minutes later, after Elizabeth finished testifying, the judge ordered a short recess. Mad Dog watched as the blond woman and the tall man ushered Elizabeth out a back door of the courtroom. And then he watched as the FBI agent got up and left the courtroom with the rest of the audience. Waiting a beat or two, he followed. Even if he couldn't get Elizabeth, an FBI agent was a useful thing. Following a few yards behind, he watched as the FBI agent pulled out his cell phone. Seeing his opportunity, Mad Dog snapped a photo with his own cell phone, and forwarded it to his companions on the street.

...

Thursday evening  
FBI Safehouse  
Littleton, CO

The government issue SUV pulled into the safehouse, with Mary, Marshall and Elizabeth inside. Elizabeth's testimony was finished, and everyone was ready to go home. However, since Elizabeth's location in Albuquerque had been compromised, everyone had to stay in Denver another night until Elizabeth's new inspectors from Florida arrived.

Marshall opened the door for Mary and Elizabeth, and then followed them into the house. A grateful smile crossed Elizabeth's face as she passed him. Mary gave him a tired look. He recognized that look as the one mirrored on his face. So far, no one had compromised Elizabeth's location within Denver, and for that, he was grateful. He'd be relieved when the new inspectors arrived tomorrow, and he and Mary could just fly back to Albuquerque, no complicated flight plans, no witnesses to worry about, just a commercial nonstop flight from Denver. Thank heavens for small favors, he thought.

"What was that?" Mary asked, tilting her head at him. Elizabeth had gone to the room serving as her bedroom for the night.

"Huh?"

"You said something about small favors?"

"Oh, I said that out loud? I was just thinking it would be a relief to get on the plane tomorrow, knowing Elizabeth is safe in someone else's care."

"Agreed. This has been a doozy of a trip. Why can't these things ever go as planned?"

Marshall smiled, "Now where is the fun in that? Come on, let's go see what the guys have brought us to eat for the night."

He opened his left arm, gesturing towards the kitchen area. "After you..." He followed her into the kitchen, where the other marshals had arranged for pizza to be delivered...to the house at the end of the block, where it was then smuggled down the street to the safe house. This was mostly to keep the FBI from eating it, not to avoid tipping off the bad guys. The witness's identity would never be known to a pizza delivery guy, as the witness never answered the door, and only plain clothes marshals were in view of the door.

Mary sat down in the living room with a plate full of pizza, while Marshall walked back to check on Elizabeth. Mary wanted a beer, but no alcohol while on duty, and until Elizabeth was safely transferred to the Florida marshals, she was definitely on duty.

She took a swig of her soda, relishing in the feel of the cool liquid down her throat. These courthouse days were sort of rough on a body - too much adrenaline, not enough fluid or food. It was enough to wear anybody down. She looked around the room for the television remote, or a book, anything to occupy her mind for a while. At least until Marshall came back and began his usual inane prattling about whatever he'd picked up today. She smiled at the thought. Marshall-pedia.

There was a knock at the front door. Odd, she thought, usually the shift change marshals came through the garage. Maybe the garage was locked? She opened the door a crack, because the door didn't have a peephole. Seeing who it was, she opened the door all the way.

"Faber?" she asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here? And how did you get this address?"

"It's an FBI safehouse, I work for the FBI."

"This address is highly classified. I know you weren't on the list of people with access to it. So I'll ask you again, what are you doing here?"

"I came to take you to dinner."

"Faber, I don't know how much clearer I can be. I am working. Right now. I cannot go to dinner with you. And since you've failed to get the message, let me state it for you once more with feeling: I. AM. NOT. HAVING. DINNER. WITH. YOU. Not tonight, not tomorrow, and at the rate you're going, not ever."

"Can't I please come in?"

Looking around, Mary decided it probably was safer for him to be inside then outside, where they were both exposed, in case Faber had been followed. _It was unlikely,_ she thought, _that someone would follow Faber, but it never hurt to be careful._

"Alright, but just for a few minutes." She wondered where Marshall was, he'd gone back to check on Elizabeth several minutes ago, and had not returned.


	11. Chapter 11

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: K+ (for some shooting, some language and a lewd look)****  
****Spoilers: Everything to date**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much.**

Thursday evening  
FBI Safehouse  
Littleton, CO

Marshall was in the back room, talking to Elizabeth when he heard gun shots. "Lock the door and lie down in the bathtub. Don't get up." Pushing Elizabeth into the bathroom, he was halfway out the door before he could finish his sentence.

The gunshots had come from the front of the house, and he could hear shouts from that area too. His gun out of his holster, he pressed himself up against the wall as he moved through the hallway, silently. And then he heard it "Officer down! Officer down!" And then, "On the floor asshole." Marshall paused at the entrance to the living room from the hallway, scanning the situation. Two marshals in the corner were handcuffing a large man. The front door was open, and Marshall could hear sirens wailing in the background, and indistinct shouts. Gun still in the air, Marshall turned the corner into the living room to see Faber, kneeling beside Mary, who was on her back, eyes closed, unconscious, gun on the floor next to her.

_Mary! Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod, not again, not again, not again,_Marshall thought. _This cannot be happening._ A million thoughts and nothing raced through his head simultaneously. _She has to be alive,_ he thought. _I cannot lose her, not this way, not now._

Not bothering to holster his weapon, he ran to her side. "What the hell happened here, Faber?" Shoving Faber out of the way, Marshall bent down, to check if Mary was breathing. She was. "Thank God," he breathed. He immediately began searching for injuries. Her torso was clean, no obvious injuries. Same for her legs. Her head, there it was. A wound on her right temple, bleeding profusesly. Marshall ripped off his shirt, and pressed it to Mary's head. "Where's an ambulance? She needs an ambulance."

And then, Mary coughed and sputtered. She opened her eyes and looked at Marshall. "What..." she croaked. Trying again, "What the hell happened?"

"I don't know Mare. You're bleeding, looks like you got shot."

"Head hurts."

"I know. Can you sit up?" He helped her into a sitting position. Turning to Faber, who was still standing on the side looking rather helpless, "Go get her a glass of water! Don't just stand there for crying out loud!"

Faber scurried from the room into the kitchen, not wanting to risk the wrath of Marshall, or Mary for that matter.

The paramedics came through the front door, moments later, along with the SAC of the operation. The man in handcuffs was removed, and a stream of FBI agents and US Marshals came through the door, securing the crime scene, documenting evidence, and so on.

Turning to the SAC, Marshall yelled, "I've got a witness in the bathroom, with the door locked, and I've got an injured marshal over here."

The paramedics were at his side before he could repeat himself, giving Mary their full attention. Marshall excused himself long enough to make sure Elizabeth was safe, and then he was back at her side. To the EMT, Marshall asked "Is she ok?"

"Yeah, she's ok. Looks like a bullet grazed her temple, right here," the EMT indicated to the bloody wound on her forehead, "and then lodged in the wall over there." He pointed to the wall, where there was a freshly made hole the size of a bullet. "Probably the force of the bullet hitting her knocked her down, and she hit her head. I don't think she has a concussion, but we'll take her in just to be sure."

"I don't want to go to the hospital," Mary began to argue. "I'm fine. You said it yourself, no concussion, no bullet holes. Just let me be."

Marshall started to chuckle, under his breath. She had to be ok if she was fighting with the paramedic. Still, he knew Stan would have his hide if he didn't make sure she followed proper protocol. "Mary, let him do his job. You know you've got to get checked out, otherwise Stan won't let you back in the field. I'll go with you."

"Jesus, Marshall, I'm fine!"

"Tough. WITSEC policy. I know you're mad, but let's get this over with." Helping Mary to her feet, he turned towards the kitchen. Where the hell was Faber? He'd sent him to get Mary some water a couple of minutes ago. He started to take steps towards the kitchen, when Mary's hand reached out and grabbed his.

"Stay."

Marshall turned to look at her. "Ok." Just then, another marshal walked into the room with a bottle of water.

"You Marshall?"

"Yeah."

"Some FBI agent asked me to give this to you."

"Thanks. Where'd he go?"

"SAC is talking to him."

"Ok." Turning to Mary, "Let's get you out of here." To the EMT, "Does she need to go in the ambulance, or can I drive her?"

"She's not critical, so yeah, you can drive her."

"Great, thanks. Can you walk?"

"Marshall, doofus, I'm fine. I can walk. Just show me the way."

"By all means," and he ushered her out to the garage where the government issue SUV was waiting. He stopped long enough in the kitchen to grab the keys, and get the name of the SAC. He wanted to get the whole story on what happened, but not right now.

...  
8:30 pm  
Littleton Adventist Hospital  
Littleton, CO

Marshall was just hanging up the phone when Mary walked out of the exam room.

"Doofus, get me out of here."

"As you wish."

"Who were you on the phone with?"

"Stan."

"And?"

"He talked to the SAC and it turns out the guy who shot you was Mad Dog Maddox, Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend. The FBI's been interrogating him all night, and he followed Faber to the safehouse from the courthouse this evening."

"What the hell? I'm going to kill Faber! Elizabeth could've been killed. How could he be so careless? Jesus, what a moron."

Wisely, Marshall remained silent.

"Honestly, he just didn't get it! I told him repeatedly that I was working, and to leave me alone. Is that so hard to understand?"

Marshall took Mary by the elbow, and turned her towards the door. "Let's go. Stan authorized a hotel room for the night, and we can fly home first thing tomorrow. And we're ordered to stay home on Monday. Oh, I forgot to ask, what did the doctor say?"

"The usual. Take it easy, no concussion, keep the wound clean, etc. A hotel room, huh? Just one?" Mary waggled her eyebrows at him, giving him a lewd glance.

Marshall faltered for a minute, not prepared to be on the receiving end of a lewd look from Mary. "No, you know that's against WITSEC policy. Two rooms. He called over to The Curtis in downtown Denver, got us a pair of rooms. But the door has to be open, because you know someone has to keep an eye on you after a head injury, even if the doc says no concussion. There's half a dozen flights to Albuquerque tomorrow from Denver. Stan confirmed there's availability on all of them so we go whenever we feel like it."

They were nearly to the hospital exit when Faber walked through the door. Unprepared for the rush of anger that hit him, Marshall came to a dead stop, dropped Mary's arm and stared. "What are you doing here?" he hissed.

At the exact same moment, he heard Mary's voice, "Get the hell away from me, Faber."

"But kitten, I know you're mad, but give me a chance."

"You heard me. GET. OUT."

Faber gave no indication he had heard her, and continued to advance.

"That's it," Marshall said angrily. "You aren't listening. Leave now." He grabbed Faber by the arm, and escorted him towards the door. "She does not want to see you."

"Marshall, I can defend myself, you know."

"Not defending you. I'm escorting this asshole out of here so I don't hurt him myself. Protecting him, as it is." Marshall smirked with that last statement.

"Ah, I see," Mary responded. "Is it a one person job, or could I join you? I'd like to ensure this creep doesn't come anywhere near me ever again."

"I think that can be arranged," came the witty reply. "So how do you want to do this? Neat or messy?"

"Whichever's fastest."

"What are you doing to me?" yelped Faber. "What do you mean, neat or messy?"

"Shut up, asshole" came the unanimous response, as they walked through the doors, and into the parking lot. A flower bed was straight ahead.

"Now, Marshall, you know assaulting an FBI agent is against the law, right?"

"Of course I do Mary. And who said anything about assaulting?" He stuck his leg out in front of Faber, and watched him trip and land face first in the flower bed. "Looks to me like he tripped? You see something different?"

"Nope. Not at all."

She reached for Marshall's hand, and turned them towards the car. "Let's get out of here."


	12. Chapter 12

**Characters/Pairings: Mary/Marshall**  
**Rating: M - for SMUT. Consider yourself warned. (I toned this down for . You want the full version, check out the Mary_Marshall Community at LiveJournal).**

**This chapter has no plot. You want plot, go somewhere else.**

**Spoilers: Everything to date**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Never have, never will. I'm unemployed and broke, so don't sue - there's no point. Big love to David Maples for creating characters we love so much. BTW, USA, this is how the show should go. :-)**

Conclusion  
The Curtis Hotel  
Denver, CO  
11:00 pm

Mary stepped out the shower and into the bedroom. Marshall was next door in the shower, she could hear it through the wall. She walked over the bed, and pulled out a pair of pajama pants and a wife beater tank top. Not the sexiest seduction apparel ever, but a girl had to make do with what she had on hand. No time (or opportunity) to do any shopping. Ah well, the important part was the seduction, not the attire.

Walking back into the bathroom, she decided to blow dry her hair. Not something she normally did before bed, but somehow, she didn't feel like seduction was quite as effective with wet hair. Besides, she still had time to kill while Marshall was finishing his shower.

...

Marshall had brought his pajama pants into the bathroom with him, but no shirt. He only slept with a shirt on when they were on the job and/or sharing a room. Since neither of these things was the case tonight, he figured a shirt was unnecessary. He brushed his teeth in the shower, and thanked God that the day had ended the way it did. He wasn't sure he could've handled another traumatic incident with Mary, and as a bonus, that asshole Faber was finally out of the picture. He'd heard from Stan while they were driving to the hotel that Faber was being kicked out of the bureau, since his behavior had endangered a federal witness. He was lucky there hadn't been charges of witness tampering against him.

Pushing aside the shower curtain, Marshall reached for a towel, and wrapped himself in it. He could hear Mary using the blow dryer next door. Odd, he thought, she didn't usually blow dry her hair before bed, and he figured she'd be so exhausted she'd be in bed already. Well, there was no making sense of Mary. That's what he loved about her - she was an original.

Putting on his pajama pants, he stepped out of the bathroom, and walked towards the door between their rooms. He opened the door, stuck his head in, and called out to her. "Mar? I'm headed to bed. You ok?"

No response. The blow dryer wasn't running anymore. Marshall walked through the door, into her room, only to find himself pinned against the wall, Mary's lips on his and her hands on his chest. Momentarily stunned, he began kissing her back in earnest, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. The intensity of the kiss increased, and Mary's hands moved to his ass, and he could feel himself getting hard. This had to stop. This was not Mary. She didn't feel this way about him.

He pushed her away. "What are you doing?"

Mary grinned lasciviously. "Getting ready to throw down with my best friend, I hope."

"Mary, are you..." words failed him.

"Horny? Sexy? Crazy about you? Yes to all of the above. Now, are you going to stand there or are you going to kiss me again?"

"Mary, I don't...I can't..."

"Marshall, I want this. I want you. I know you want me. What is the problem?" She moved closer, putting her hands on his chest, tracing circles around his nipples, and then down his stomach. "Don't you want me?"

"Jesus, Mary. You sure know how to surprise a guy." He pulled her close. "Of course I want you. I just wasn't expecting you to..."

"Reciprocate?" she interrupted. "Stop talking, Marshall." In an instant, her mouth was on his again, tongues dueling, and her hands were on his ass, beneath his pajama pants.

Marshall began moving them toward the bed, because if this was going to happen, it damn well was going to happen on the bed, not up against the wall. He pulled her hands from his pants, and pulled them over her head as he pulled her tank top off, exposing her breasts to him. Those glorious breasts, that he'd dreamed about so many times. He tore his mouth from hers and moved it to her neck as they collapsed onto the bed. Her hands were now on his shoulders, and in his hair. She was writhing beneath him as he placed kisses on her chin, below her ear, on her neck, her shoulder, and the hollow at the base of her throat.

"Marshall," she moaned.

"Mmmm, you like that?" He paused long enough to switch to the other side of her neck. His left hand was tracing circles around her left breast, and his right hand was on her ass, stroking it, cupping it. He lowered his head to her left breast, left hand moving to her pajama pants, tracing the waistband, just dipping beneath it on occasion. Gentle kisses and nips on the sides of her breast while his right hand worked tweaked the nipple on her other breast, mimicking the actions of his mouth.

Mary was growing frustrated beneath him, he could tell. She was grinding up against him, and his hands had not even moved below her waist yet. Switching his attention to her other breast, he hooked his thumbs in her pajama bottoms and pulled them off of her. She shrieked in delight as the cool air hit her exposed skin. She wasn't wearing any underwear, he noted. Still laving her breasts with his mouth, alternating from left to right, he used his left hand to anchor her to the bed at her hip, he trailed his hand up between her legs, tracing the inside of one thigh, and then the other. Without even using any pressure, his fingers passed over the curls between her legs, once, twice, three times. She bucked beneath him. He moved his mouth lower, to place a kiss on her belly button, and then blowing on it, gently.

He stood up. Mary's eyes flew open in frustration, only to be rewarded by the sight of him taking off his own pajama pants, before returning to the bed. He fused his mouth against hers as his right hand resumed its ministrations. She was whimpering at the combination of his hands and mouth. Trailing kisses down her sternum, he paused to suckle each breast, gently, and then nipped at them, oh so slightly. He used his thumb on her clit, and he could tell she was close. He withdrew his hand from between her legs, and was about to replace it with his tongue, when Mary pulled him down, rolled them over and straddled him.

"Not yet, cowboy. We're just getting started." She grinned evily. "Now it's my turn."

Mary was dripping with anticipation, and desperately wanted to finish what Marshall had started, but she also absolutely had to torture him a little. She wanted to see how much more she could take. She pinned Marshall's arms at his side, and began kissing him. Gently, on the mouth at first, where she'd bit him only moments before. Then she moved to his nipples, trailing her tongue in circles around them, flicking her tongue over them.

Marshall didn't think he could be anymore turned on then he already was, the sight of Mary, naked, dripping on top of him, her tongue on his body, her breasts against his stomach. She relaxed the pressure on his arms while she focused her attention on his chest, and he took the opportunity to free them, and fondle her breasts, and her ass. She was a sight to behold.

Mary turned around and focused her attention on his cock, using her hands to pleasure him, stroking him, massaging his balls. Marshall took the opportunity to resume his ministrations with his hands. Before she could finish what she was doing, Mary's orgasm exploded around her. She shuddered as Marshall rolled them over, stroking her breasts gently, kissing her even more gently, as she rode the waves of her orgasm.

"Jesus, Marshall. I had no idea."

He smiled. "I am a man of many talents."

She reached for him, "I want you, inside me, now."

"I need to go get a condom."

"No, you don't. I'm clean, you're clean, and I'm on the pill. Should I be pleased that you brought condoms?"

"Boy Scout motto: Always be prepared." He slid into her. He filled her completely, and his mouth returned to hers as he withdrew, and then thrust into her again. She locked her legs around his knees, trying to pull him even deeper. Her hands were on his ass, digging into him. "Faster," she breathed. "Faster, Marshall, Jesus."

Marshall grinned. He loved that she found God during sex. Increasing the pace, he could feel the pressure building, so he reached between them, and applied his thumb to her clit, flicking her once, twice. One more flick, his mouth on hers, and she came again, thrashing violently beneath him. His orgasm followed, as he poured himself into her, claiming her as his.

They laid there on the bed, in an sweaty heap. He was still inside her. He kissed her again. "Well, that was an unexpected end to the day," he muttered into her ear.

She turned her head to him, kissing him gently on the nose. "I didn't really plan it this way, but I'm glad it happened. Are you?"

Suckling her earlobe, he responded, "Very." He withdrew from her, and pulled her up from the bed. Pulling the covers down, he whispered, "Let's get some sleep."

She turned to face him, and kissed him. "Let's get in bed, then we'll discuss sleep." Her hand moved lower on his body. Taking him in her hand, and stroking gently, she said, "I'm not sure we're tired yet."

Feeling himself harden again in response her hands, he kissed her more deeply, and pulled her into the bed with him. "I guess we can sleep when we're dead, right?"

"Exactly," as she guided him into her again.

~FIN~


End file.
